The present invention relates to sailboats, and particularly to a container for use aboard small catamaran sailboats for holding personal articles such as spare clothing and refreshments.
Smaller sailboats of the twin hull, or catamaran, type are designed for "day sailing" and often lack any built-in storage compartments. Although built primarily for recreational sailing for relatively short times and distances, such small catamarans may nevertheless be sailed at times when the weather is changeable, or for periods of time long enough to make it desirable to take along food, extra clothing, or special sailing equipment whose usefulness depends upon particular conditions. Naturally, it is desirable to protect such articles from loss and, in the case of food and clothing, from becoming unnecessarily wetted by spray or rain. This has been unnecessarily difficult in the past aboard most small catamarans, of 20 feet and shorter length, for example, since such boats usually have only a platform of tightly stretched cloth (called a trampoline) to support people.
Such small catamaran sailboats are often used on lakes, where the water is often fairly calm, and it is frequently possible to relax and consume refreshments leisurely aboard the boat. Since there is no storage space provided on such small catamarans, refreshments, extra sailing equipment, or spare clothing carried aboard such a boat must be tied down, occupying space where it may interfere with sailing the boat. Such articles are, then, likely to obstruct people aboard the boat, be accidentally lost overboard, get wet, or simply take up space undesirably.
Some owners of sailboats find instrumentation such as a compass, a wind speed and direction indicator, and a water speed indicator desirable. However, in the popular commercially available catamarans not large enough to include solid cockpits or cabin structures there is ordinarily no space available for mounting the indicator dials of such instruments.
Trampolines previously used on catamaran sailboats are fastened to a portion of the supporting framework and are tightened by lacing, leaving an area of the trampoline which is partly open, except for the lacing, and which thereby presents a danger of a person's foot being entangled in the lacing. Also, the grommets previously used cause undesirable stress concentrations in the fabric. It is desirable, then, to provide an improved manner of attachment of the trampoline, by which these disadvantages are avoided.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved trampoline associated with a utility container which can be added to a conventional small catamaran sailboat, and which includes protected storage space for personal articles of clothing, for equipment used to sail the boat, and for beverages or food for consumption aboard such a sailboat. Preferably such a utility container would also provide room for mounting display units of instruments useful in sailing such a catamaran and be strong enough to support the people aboard such a catamaran. Such a utility container must, of course, be securely attachable to a catamaran because of the normal wide range of motion and attitude of such a sailing craft, and the trampoline associated with the utility carrier should be made as safe as possible.